


Tough - Freehoun Fiction

by lechechu



Category: Half-Life
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Sad and Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 11:39:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21074291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lechechu/pseuds/lechechu
Summary: Barney shows up to White Forest after the infamous battle. However, he's a little too late.





	Tough - Freehoun Fiction

_Gordon!_

A slick voice like silk, he could recognize it from anywhere. The Freeman lifted his head to gaze towards the gates of White Forest, feeling his heart swell at the familiar face that stared back at him. _Not a ghost, not dead_, they both thought simultaneously, as the distance between them drew closer.

[_Barney…_]

"... Hey buddy. Jesus, you guys look like you went through hell and kissed Cthulu's ass. What the hell happened here?" Barney gazed around the acre lot, spotting buildings that were in complete shambles. No doubt Strider work, which means they _actually_ went through hell. 

[_It's… a long story. Where have you been?_]

"Hell if I know, seems like it's been **years** since I've seen a familiar face. Heh, Deja Vú, right? Like Day 1…" Barney gazed over various cuts and bruises along Gordon's face, even visibly wincing at some of them. They were still bleeding, no matter how many times the scientist wiped it away.

"What'dya do? Get run over by an APC? Is that a new form of cosmetic surgery; seems to be botched."

[_Ha **ha**, very funny. Nice to see your sense of humor hasn't gotten run over since two decades ago._]

"_Ouch_, little rough on the edge there, pal." Barney acted offended before smiling as he got at least amusement back from the Freeman. By God he missed him; damn this forsaken war.

"So… am I invited in or are you just going to stare at me until one of us starts the making out part of the reunion?" Getting a snort, Gordon then took Barney inside the base, happy that he was indeed alive. Those weeks wore thick of worry for Calhoun, although it worked both ways. 

Barney surveyed the area, looking at dusty and blood-stained rebels. They went through a fight of a lifetime - he almost cursed that he missed the party. As Gordon led him into a room, Calhoun soon approached and pressed his lips against the scientist's.

Freeman was visibly taken aback by Calhoun's show of affection, but familiarity soon crept it's way back into his mind, causing Gordon to nearly tear up at the thought of losing him. Barney pulled back, seeing the anguish that was among his face; pain that was in his eyes.

"Where is everyone? Kleiner… Alyx, Eli?"

Sharp silence filled the room upon the last name being said, causing Gordon to look at the floor in shame.

[_... Eli's dead, Barney. Alyx won't talk to me, and Dr. Kleiner has been in the lab… doing God knows what. Mourning - we all are._]

"... that's not the kind of news I expected to hear when I arrived. _Shit_." Barney glanced around the room. He had hoped to see them all together, in the least. Reunited, happy. Now, they were broken; in shambles. They were at their weak point. 

[_You came here at a bad time._]

"I can tell. When… when did this happen?"

[_Last night._]

"Not that old, then… the wounds are still fre-" Pausing his words, Barney glanced to the scientist, seeing him shake and whimper. He was damn scared; watching someone you care about, die right in front of you was **traumatizing**. Gordon didn't tell him that, he didn't have the heart to. However, that didn't stop the scientist from shaking and crying out of fear.

Barney surely came at the wrong time.

"Hey, it's going to be alright… I'm here now." Calhoun dropped his weapon and approached Freeman with tenderness, embracing him of what he could despite the bulky suit that he wore. That thing was all scratched up and dented, it was a surprise it still worked. If it still worked, that meant that it's wearer was still alive.

Lightly running his fingers through Gordon's hair, Barney felt the other's arms slowly snake around to his backside, in hopes to draw them closer. The distance between them was phenomenal, Freeman hoped to bridge the gap between the barriers. He needed help, and he begged Calhoun for it. All that they've been through, it seemed like the Freeman took the brunt of it. Would those rebels out there fault him?

If they did, Barney would no doubt release his own bit of hell towards them. Until those problems arise, Barney stayed in the confines of Gordon's arms, continuously petting the top of his head. What plan were they to follow through now?

Inhaling deeply, Barney kept silent for the sole purpose of letting Freeman's panic attack subdue. As silent breaths fell through from Gordon, Calhoun took time to tenderly and slowly kiss along Freeman's face. Kissing his forehead, cheeks, chin - removing his glasses to kiss his eyelids, before eventually ending on his lips. Gathering the other's face into his hands, Barney made the other look up at him.

"Sometimes the world takes from you in order to give something equally as important back. You're tough, but it's okay to be weak. Don't beat yourself up, buddy. We still gotta chance in all of this." Quietly listening, the two had then embraced each other, as Freeman let out a deep breath to calm himself down. Barney light rubbed the back of Gordon's head, before a smirk lightly crawled along his lips.

"You smell pretty bad, babe."

"_... You smell even worse up close._" Gordon softly whispered in Barney's ear before the two of them snickered quietly as they bantered about. They were tough…

But they were human.


End file.
